This invention relates in general to swingable toys which provide audible vibratory noises and illumination, and more particularly to such a toy with a stabilizing fin mounted on the body of the toy for orientation of noise-emitting vibratory members relative to an orbit defined by the swinging body and a low-friction ball bearing disposed in the cord to relieve twisting in the cord due to swinging of the toy such that the noise-emitting vibratory members are oriented and remain in a plane perpendicular to that of the swinging orbit for improved vibratory effects.
Swingable toys are generally known to the prior art. Some of these toys cause a light mounted in a body member or the like to illuminate by action of centrifugal forces when the toy is whirled. Other whirl toys have utilized bands or other vibratory members, but have not provided any means for maintaining the bands in an orientation which enhances the vibratory sound-emitting effectiveness of the toy. Many such toys do not provide any means for changing the tones emitted by the vibratory members. While whirling in an orbit, the prior art toys are continually twisting or rotating about the cord to relieve twisting in the cord associated with whirling of the toy. This twisting continually orients the vibratory members at changing angles with respect to the orbit of the whirling toy with associated variations in the vibratory exitation of the toy. It has also been common to use a tied loop of the cord for holding on to the toy. Such loops have a danger of becoming untied with consequent loss of control of the toy. On other occasions, handles have been used at the end of the cord, but safety has not been significantly increased by such handles due to the wearing of the cord at the handle or due to the handle slipping out of the hand of the player.
A principal object of the present invention is therefore to provide a novel and improved audible and luminous swingable toy which orients and maintains the vibratory members in a plane perpendicular to that of the orbit of the toy for maximum sound-emitting effectiveness of the vibratory members.
A related object is to provide a stabilizing fin means mounted along a central body portion of the toy for orientation of the vibratory members in a plane perpendicular to that of the orbit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a low-friction twist relieving means in the cord of the toy such that twisting of the cord associated with whirling of the toy is relieved in the cord and the orientation of the toy by the stabilizing fin means is maintained and enhanced.
Yet another object is to provide slots for inserting, removing or adjusting the vibratory members such that different vibratory members may easily be used in the toy or the tension in the vibratory members may be easily adjusted for different tonal effects.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an audible and luminous swingable toy which exhibits a higher degree of safety than heretofore possible. To this end, a novel gripping member is provided for the end of the cord. The gripping member is held in the palm of the hand and has finger receiving apertures for receiving fingers of the player therethrough. The gripping member also minimizes wear on the cord caused by operation of the toy.
An additional object is to provide a tubular and hollow central body portion adapted for insertion therein of a source of light, such as in a chemiluminescent liquid, and further providing light-emitting materials at spaced points along the cord of the toy for creating concentric circles of light during whirling of the toy for interesting visual effects, in addition to the audible effects.